Forevermore
by ShinMasaki
Summary: To what crossroads does life and love lead? Tenchi Masaki must face a new enemy, an enemy both familiar and completely unknown. Does Tenchi have the strength to face this foe? And what is with his dreams?
1. The Road of Life: A Desolate Wasteland?

Disclaimer: For those people who don't know me, I do not own any of the Tenchi series. I believe that's enough for you, now enjoy the story!  
  
Forevermore  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
'Ryoko, where are you?'  
  
There was nothing around him, nothing except the black sky and the snow around. Snow.everywhere. Where was this?  
  
'Ryoko.please, I need you.'  
  
Tenchi trudged through the barren wasteland in search of her, his crunching footsteps echoing in the darkness. Never could a sound be more desolate, more lonely, more sorrowful than that of his footsteps.  
  
'Ryoko.please, help me'  
  
*Where was she?*  
  
As Tenchi walked though the darkness, he saw a body in the distance. Without knowing how, he knew who it was at first sight. He didn't want to go over there, but was compelled to as if he were being called to it. He had to make sure it was who he thought it was.or rather, make sure it wasn't who he thought it was.  
  
'Ryoko.no.please.don't.'  
  
As Tenchi neared the body, a young woman's figure became more apparent in the snow. Down in the recesses of his stomach, Tenchi could feel fear brewing, the same fear he had felt back then during the battle. The wind began to pick up speed and the snow came down harder upon Tenchi. He stopped for a moment and stared at the figure, the body was covered in snow. Tenchi could feel the sharp stinging blows of each piece of ice that hit his body. It made him numb and chills sweep through his body.  
  
Tenchi inched closer to the body. It wasn't until he was no more than a few feet away that the powdered snow blanketing the body got whisked away into the darkness.  
  
From under the snow, a lock of cyan hair seeped out.  
  
'.No.' Tenchi said quietly. His voice was shaking, not from the cold. No, he couldn't feel the biting breath of the wind nor the stinging bits of ice pelting him from all sides. He could only feel the fear rising into his throat making his voice quake.  
  
Tenchi finally gathered up enough courage and swallowed his fear knowing that he was essentially the only one capable of saving this poor soul, if he could at all. He picked up the body and turned it over. Ryoko's head hung limply as he held her in his arms. Tenchi looked at the beautiful space pirate cradled in his arms. Her eyes, now permanently closed and lifeless, never to shine the beautiful amber he had come to love. Her lips, parted slightly gave off an eerie nothingness in the cold air. Tenchi's breath however, blew out clouds of steam that parted from view after a second's lingering. There she lay, never again to talk in her sweet voice.  
  
A small tear dripped down Tenchi's face and fell towards Ryoko's. The tear froze in partway and blew away in the wind before reaching her.  
  
'Ryoko.'  
  
Tenchi held her close to him, taking in her beauty. Very slowly, he leaned over and tenderly kissed her cold lips.  
  
'Ryoko.please.I love you, Ryoko. Please, come back to me.'  
  
Another tear escaped Tenchi's eye and streamed down his face.  
  
'.please.'  
  
Tenchi brought Ryoko's limp body into a tight embrace as if he could bring her back to life.  
  
'Love has no boundaries.pheh.what a bunch of shit.' Tenchi cursed the phrase he knew so well.  
  
He laid the body onto the snow. Rage, sorrow, regret, hate.all welled inside of him.  
  
'RYOKO!!!' he screamed into the darkness. With a sudden wash of energy, his body was bathed in light and power as the Lighthawk Wings enveloped his body. However, instead of contorting to his will and mind, the Lighthawk Wings began to smother Tenchi. A sinister pitch slowly replaced their normal radiant white glow. He could feel the power collapsing upon himself, the wings were closing in on Tenchi with no escape possible. In a final desperate act, he reached out to Ryoko, one last time, getting lost in the void of the power of the Gods.  
  
'.ryoko.i.love you.' 


	2. Selfless Confession

Authors Note: Due to the uploading procedure done by fanfiction.net, some of the things written, are not exactly how they were written. To see how this story looks in it's pure form, go to www.geocities.com/Tenchi_Masaki_123/Forevermore  
  
Also, thanks to all who reviewed my prologue, actually, I had this story up before, but I am going through and editing this entire story, to improve it to something more to my liking. This originally was my story. However, I do not own any of the characters here, nor do I own Tenchi Muyo! the anime series this story was based on.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Selfless Confession  
  
  
  
Tenchi awoke with a start. He was sweating profusely and panting for breath.  
  
'Oh wow.was that.a dream? It seemed so real.' Tenchi thought to himself. He tried to sit up in his bed only to find himself tangled in his comforter.  
  
'How did this happen? I never toss around in my sleep. Damn.it's hot.' he thought as he struggled to free himself.  
  
Tenchi loosened the comforter wrapped around his body and sat up in his bed. Wiping the sweat on his brow he looked around the room. Everything was as it should be, nothing out o f place, nothing except his distressed bed.  
  
"What time is it?" He asked to nobody in particular. He could feel the breeze blowing in from outside. Tenchi got up from the bed and stretched before the window, it was still night.  
  
Opening the sliding door, Tenchi walked out onto his balcony and looked at the night scenery. The pale light from the moon lit up the world and shined down upon him. The lake softly reflected its wavering image as the breeze blew across its surface.  
  
The gentle breeze blew around Tenchi as he stood there admiring the scenery. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath savoring the sweet scent of the blossoming sakura trees.  
  
*'Tenchi.'* he heard a voice in his mind shattering his blissfulness.  
  
'Ryoko?' he called back.  
  
*'Please, Tenchi.I need you.'*  
  
*I . need you?* 'Isn't that what was said in.my . dream.' Tenchi thought.  
  
'The dream!' Tenchi thought. '.was it really a dream? It seemed so.lifelike and real. And then.there was.Ryoko. Ryoko.died? No! Ryoko wont die. She wouldn't leave me . because. well . because . .'  
  
*'Tenchi.please.'*  
  
'because. because.'  
  
*'Tenchi.'*  
  
'because I love Ryoko' Tenchi thought. 'Yes, I love Ryoko. I've known that for quite some time.but why haven't I told her.because I think she will always be there? That she will never leave me?'  
  
*'Tenchi.'*  
  
'No.I have got to stop putting this off. I love Ryoko and I have to tell her. If I don't.no, don't think about what might happen, Tenchi. Do this now and don't worry about the consequences. What will be, will be.'  
  
"I will tell her." Tenchi said aloud. He turned away from the door and walked back into his room. "I have to tell her."  
  
Looking out into the night air, the peaceful radiance of the moon shimmering in. Glistening off the two gems in the hilt of the Tenchi-ken, the soft red glow encouraged Tenchi's need to find Ryoko. Grabbing his jacket from it's hook by the door he exited the room taking great care in closing the door in a sense that nobody would hear. Slipping on the jacket he walked into the living room and looked towards her rafter where he would often times see her sleeping peacefully.  
  
This time, however, the rafter was empty, only her pillow and her usual bottle of sake stood on the banister. There was no movement in the room, the emptiness caused a chill to form and travel down Tenchi's spine.  
  
"Ryoko?" Tenchi called softly, hoping to not wake anyone else.  
  
'Perhaps she's outside?' Tenchi thought.  
  
*******  
  
The night air was even more soothing outside than it was inside. As Tenchi walked down the path by the Masaki Lake, he could feel a breeze blowing at his back. The gentle waves on the water flowed easily and gently. Stopping for a moment, Tenchi stared at the lake that reflected the beauty and magnificence of the full moon.  
  
Tenchi wandered on towards the blooming Sakura trees. 'Just a few more days.a few more days and this place will be covered in their blossoms.' he thought. He looked around trying to find "Ryoko's tree" as he called it. The tree that Ryoko always slept in during the day. It didn't take long to find, there was another sake bottle at the base of one of the trees.empty.  
  
"Well, guess she's not here" Tenchi sighed. "Perhaps.maybe I'll just tell her tomorrow.I really wish I could tell her tonight though."  
  
Tenchi turned back to the house, a sense of disappointment circled him. Looking towards the mountains behind the Masaki shrine, he could see an ocean of stars shimmering in the sky.  
  
'I just love stars.' he remembered Ryoko saying that to him once.  
  
".Ryoko." he smiled to himself.  
  
As he neared the house he could see a figure, a person sitting on the roof staring at the moon. Tenchi smiled. It had to be Ryoko.she was the only one besides him who ever just sat on the roof.  
  
Making his way through the house again, Tenchi walked into his room and stepped out onto the balcony. Looking back into his room he could see the Tenchi-ken still reflecting the light of the moon off the gems. . 'Ryoko's gems' he thought.  
  
Tenchi stopped as he looked at them, remembering how he had fought against Ryoko the first time they met. He had to cut off her hand in order to stop her, in doing so he also cut off the gem that gave her power. The gem transferred itself into the blade's hilt where it now rested, waiting for Tenchi to return it to its owner. Tenchi smiled to himself as he remembered how Ryoko first looked when he saw her. She did seem kind of crazy, but in an innocent and beautiful sort of way.  
  
He put the sword at the head of his bed and crawled out the window up to the roof. He saw Ryoko sitting there on the edge of the roof staring up at the moon. Her shock of cyan hair looking more radiant in the moonlight.  
  
Tenchi walked up behind her quietly so as not to disturb her. She looked so beautiful like that. She seemed totally at peace.  
  
'How strange, that's not how Ryoko acts at all during the day. She's normally loud and causing trouble some way or another' Tenchi thought. He smiled to himself as he found himself staring at her.  
  
Tenchi walked up right behind her, she hadn't noticed him yet. Tenchi sat down next to her and looked up at the moon.  
  
"Sure is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" Tenchi asked.  
  
Ryoko was shaken from her peaceful bliss by Tenchi's sudden voice. She visibly jumped when she heard his voice.  
  
Ryoko looked over at Tenchi and smiled. "Yes, it is a beautiful moon tonight. You startled me Tenchi, what are you doing up this late?"  
  
"I couldn't sleep," Tenchi lied. "How about you?"  
  
"Me either," Ryoko said. She looked back up at the silent moon. "That's not the whole truth of why you're up.is it."  
  
Tenchi blushed as he thought of why he had really come up there. "Ryoko, can I talk to you?"  
  
Ryoko turned her gaze from the moon to Tenchi's face, staring deeply into his eyes.the eyes she had grown to love. "Uh.yeah, sure Tenchi. What do you want to talk about?"  
  
He looked down at the roof below him. "Umm.Ryoko?"  
  
"Yes, Tenchi?"  
  
Tenchi sighed deeply. 'I have to get this over with. Just say it Tenchi!' "Ryoko, I've made my decision."  
  
"Your.decision?" she asked uncertainly.  
  
"Yes, I've made my decision now. And it is.you. I love you, Ryoko. I have always loved you, Ryoko"  
  
Ryoko bowed her head and smiled, blushing slightly. "Do you really mean that, Tenchi?"  
  
Tenchi reached down and took Ryoko's hand in his own. "Yes, Ryoko. I want you to be with me."  
  
Ryoko looked down at her hand as she held Tenchi's hand. He had such soft hands. Ryoko sighed quietly. She leaned against Tenchi and turned her gaze back up towards the moon.  
  
Smiling, Tenchi put his arm around her as they watched the moon.  
  
"Tenchi, don't leave me." Ryoko cooed softly. She grinned to herself and looked back at Tenchi. "What took you so long to decide?" she asked in her normal tone.  
  
Tenchi couldn't help but smile at her usual playfulness. "Well, I decided long ago, Ryoko. I've just never mustered the courage to tell you." Looking into her eyes, he mentally apologized to her. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."  
  
"That's all right, . my Tenchi. Just so long as you are here with me."  
  
Ryoko shivered a little as he held her.  
  
"Ryoko, it's cold out here. Why don't we go inside? C'mon Ryoko."  
  
Ryoko smiled softly. 'Tenchi really does loves me' "Let's go then, my Tenchi."  
  
They walked together, hand in hand, to the window leaving behind the starry ocean of the pale moonlight.  
  
******  
  
'Ryoko. Only you can summon the light. Only you can save.the one you love. The choice is yours. What will it be?'  
  
The ground was white. It was cold. Ryoko trudged through the snow hearing that same voice repeating the same message over and over. What did it mean?  
  
'Ryoko. Only you can summon the light'  
  
That voice, it sounded so familiar, so loving and peaceful. It was Tenchi's voice echoing in her head.  
  
'Tenchi, my love!' Ryoko called out. 'Please come to me, help me!'  
  
There was no response to her call, only the ever-present wind blowing in the air, twirling the snow through the black sky.  
  
The sky. It was black, there was no moon, no stars, no sun; yet she could still see, somehow. There was an evil presence in the wind. Something was coming.  
  
'Ryoko. Only you can save the one you love' the voice called. It was right behind her.  
  
Ryoko twirled around to find Tenchi standing there holding out the Tenchi- ken. He walked up to her and placed the Tenchi-ken into her opened hand. She looked down mysteriously at the gift.  
  
*Why did he give this to me?* Ryoko thought. She looked back up to Tenchi. He was smiling at her with his beautiful brown eyes. 'Only you can do this now, Ryoko. Save everybody; be the new Guardian. Do it for me'  
  
'Tenchi.' Ryoko heard herself saying.  
  
Tenchi walked up close to Ryoko and leaned up close to her as if to kiss her. Ryoko leaned forward to meet him in his advance. Tenchi vanished before he reached her, he phased out like a shadow that's been exposed to light.  
  
'Only you can do this, Ryoko, my love. Do this for the people of the world, for the universe.for me. I will always love you, Ryoko' Tenchi's voice echoed away until only a whisper could be heard.  
  
'Tenchi.' Ryoko softly said. The sound of his name saddened her. Why?  
  
Ryoko turned holding the Tenchi-ken in her hand. She caressed her face with her other hand remembering Tenchi's touch.  
  
The Tenchi-ken fizzled with blue energy as she held her face. Suddenly a blue beam flew out of the sword handle. Ryoko turned knowing something was coming. No, it wasn't coming.  
  
It was here. 


End file.
